Fury seek back-to-back victories, or even a winning streak

Fury seek back-to-back victories, or even a winning streak

Nikola Popovic just laughed and rolled his eyes when asked if he had the game ball from his first win as head coach of the Ottawa Fury FC.

He then quickly moved onto the next question.

So by all accounts the ball from the Fury FC’s huge 1-0 win over Penn FC last Monday is likely tucked in a ball bag in Harrisburg, PA, ready for more kicks. It’s certainly not on his office desk.

“People are a little bit excited now that we’ve finally won,” said Popovic, Friday. “But we didn’t just get very, very good because we won a game. Just as we were not very, very bad because we had not won a game.”

“We don’t look to much to the scoreboard. We look more to the performance. There are good signs from our last two performances.

“This is a construction here. Our last four games have shown us the growing of the team. Seven of our last eight halves have been very good.”

Still, the head coach’s lack of emotion at the Fury FC’s first win of the season aside, the win over Penn was much-needed for the Ottawa 11 after two draws and four losses to open the season.

The Fury faithful want hope that the first win— a road one at that— will provide a spark.

And now the Fury FC even dare to dream of going on a little winning streak, beginning Saturday at 2 p.m. at TD Place against the expansion Atlanta United 2, the development squad for the United Soccer League’s Atlanta United.

Atlanta, as a new team in the USL, open the the season win a win over the New York Red Bulls and have gone winless since. That’s six games with just three draws and now the three-game losing streak they bring to Ottawa.

They’ve also conceded 13 goals-against which is topped only by the Fury FC who surrendered 14 goals in their first five games, then tightened things up and have now gone two complete games without giving up a single goal, in a 0-0 draw with Cincinnati followed by Monday’s win with another perfect sheet.

A Fury win would also lift them up in the Eastern Conference table from 15th to a possible tie for 10th. The club also wants to right a winless record at home with just two points on two draws to show in three games to date.

“I had spoke how we needed a scrappy win . . .well that one wasn’t even scrappy,” said Colin Falvey, Monday’s hero with the game-winning goal in the 87th minute. “I thought we deserved to win hands-down.

“We had six of seven good chances and really could have put it to bed much earlier. We just needed a win like that.”

And the Fury can be excused for looking past the Atlanta game and seeing a road trip to Charleston, SC, next week, followed by three straight back at TD Place against Bethlehem Steel, Toronto FC II and Charlotte Independence.

Including the Atlanta game, that’s four of five at home and four of five against teams that do not have winning records.

Dare we mention a potential winning streak? The head coach certainly will not.

“Winning away in the USL is very difficult,” conceded Popovic. “So to collect the three points (in Harrisburg) should give us confidence.

“But it’s not just about the three points. I’m happy because our own performance was very good. The performance is what’s most important.

“We must keep a clean sheet but you cannot disconnect the offence from the defence. In general, in all facets of the game the team is getting better. It’s how you position for the ball. If you perform, your chances to win are that much better.”

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